The U.S. Department of Education is sending Louisiana $13.5 million to support charter schools. This allocation is on top of the $55 million the state received in 2023 to increase the number of charter schools. Assistant Superintendent in the Office of the School Choice, Germaine Gilson, on how this round of money can be used.
“And they can use that money for literacy initiatives, numeracy initiatives, initiatives around attendance. School attendance is really important,” Gilson said.
The money will be divided up among numerous charter schools who will have to submit applications to the department of education. Gilson says charter schools are an important piece in the state’s effort to expand school choice options, and the state wants them to succeed.
“They have a lot of autonomy, but they also have a lot of accountability. And when they don’t perform, they close. And so we want to be able to provide these supplemental funds to assist them in moving our state and our students forward,” Gilson explained.
Gilson says charter schools expand education choice by providing more schooling options for students, particularly those that reside in failing districts.
“Some of our charters actually allow families who live, to be able to attend a school that’s not necessarily in your zip code, but one that actually is meeting the needs of your child,” Gilson said.
